Reactions and Relationships
by Mooey2
Summary: An examination of the start of Dom and Kel's relationship, and the reactions of the people around them to the news. Dom/Kel.
1. Dom, Kel, Owen

Authors Note: I own nothing, and no one. This story is several chapters long at least, each basically dealing with the unfolding of Dom and Kel's relationship, and reactions of different characters to the news. This chapter is basically Dom and Kel's, plus a little Owen. So far, I'm have mostly written Neal, Peachblossom, Raoul, Wolset and Fulcher, with others planned. Feel free to make suggestions for other characters to include their reactions. in your reviews. Hope you like it!

It was far past midnight, but the celebrations were still in full swing, with people still trickling in and out of the different rooms of the party, some a little unsteadily. The rooms of Fort Steadfast were unusually full, owing to the number of guests present at the joint weddings of Lord Sir Raoul of Golden Lake and Malorie's Peak, Commander of the King's Own to Buriram Tourakom, former Commander of the Queen's Rider, and Sir Nealan of Queenscove, of Tortall, to Lady Yukimi noh Daiomoru, of the Yamani Isles.

It was a bright and festive atmosphere despite the war that was still being fought around them, with pockets of people still standing around or sitting, chatting amiably. In one corner sat Lady Knight Keladry of Mindelan, sometimes called the Protector of the Small, more commonly called Kel, discussing centaurs with Harailt of Aili.

For the occasion, she had worn a dress for the first time in a very long time, after being recruited into the position the maid of honour for Neal and Yuki's half of the wedding party. The cream coloured silk was embroidered with griffins in gold and red, and while she had initially protested, Yuki had assured her the colours suited her very well, and that the maid of honour to her wedding would _not_ be wearing a tunic, so she had relented.

She paused for a moment to savour the atmosphere, full of bright candles, music and scented logs burning on the crackling hearth. It was a welcome change from the roughhewn conditions of late, and the fact that she had unbent so far as to indulge in a glass or two of cider helped her appreciation of the festivities, though she normally chose not to indulge in spirits of any kind. It was admittedly a bit loud from all the conversation, but she didn't mind too much.

"Harailt!" A noble Kel didn't recognize called out, walking over. Recognizing an end to the conversation, she took another drink from her glass before putting it down and wandering away, looking around the room. It was probably good to put the glass down. She'd had quite enough for one night. Was that her second glass, or third?

Shaking her head at herself, her eyes fell upon her longtime friend and comrade, Sergeant Domitan of Masbolle, cousin of the groom, and Kel immediately smiled. She liked Dom, with his easy manner and jokes. He was nice to talk to, and someone she normally felt very… comfortable around.

Dom turned towards her and met her eyes. Suddenly, Kel broke the gaze, feeling inexplicably and acutely conscious of the fact that she was wearing a dress that was admittedly somewhat very low in the bodice, was really very well fitted, and… She really had drunk far too much that night, hadn't she? It was definitely good that she put the cider glass down. She wasn't _drunk, _exactly, but she had certainly had enough. It probably was her third. Spaced over an evening, certainly, but quite enough.

Dom seemed to be taking very purposeful steps toward her when he was waylaid by a limping Captain Flyndan Whiteford, who grabbed his arm and pulled him aside to talk.

Kel noticed a flash of chagrin on Dom's face before a tipsy Owen of Jesslaw greeted her with his usual boisterous enthusiasm, then some.

"Kel! How are you? Sorry I didn't say hello earlier, I had to go run a message for Lord Wyldon and then I had to go to do something else, and then I was talking to Margarry, and she is so nice and has eyes like a f_orest_ and she told me that one of m'lord's dogs is going to have pups again and I thought maybe I could go look but I thought it was too early to leave because there were so many people still here and it looked like you were having a good conversation so I didn't really want to …"

Kel interrupted, knowing that if she didn't, he would probably go on all night.

"It's quite alright, Owen, really. I'm well, thank you for asking."

Owen grinned. "Good, Kel. Oh, wait, we received update from Frasrlund you might want to hear about…"

She spent a little while listening to the latest update from the progress of the war. It was somewhat hard to concentrate on the conversation, and it was getting very hot in this room. Kel realized to her infinite embarrassment that she was feeling slightly faint. It was likely the heavy perfume from the braziers. Certainly that would have been it.

"Excuse me for a moment, Owen?" She said politely, before quietly making her way through the groups and slipping out the door.

She walked for a few minutes along the well-lit hallways until she located an arrow slit, and leaned against it for a while, letting the crisp air wash over her, carrying a hint of woodsmoke and fresh snow. Feeling a bit better, she turned to go and very neatly collided with Dom.

As she stumbled slightly, he grabbed her arms and pulled her to her feet again, before looking up at her, their eyes meeting for the second time that evening, and he kept holding on to her arm for a few second longer than was absolutely necessary, but it was him that broke the gaze first. His very broad shoulders went down imperceptibly, and he seemed to be about to turn and go back the way he came, as if he had lost his nerve for whatever he had seemed so intent on doing.

"Dom." She said with a nod, her arm tingling where he had touched.

"Kel." He replied in kind, before shifting to let her pass in the hallway. "Sorry about that."

It took a moment for her to realize he meant bumping her. "No… It's fine…." Kel mumbled, feeling uncomfortable.

"How are you, Dom?" She said suddenly. "We haven't really had a chance to talk since… Scanra. Thank you for helping, because I know you didn't have to because Raoul was telling me about asking the squads and he said it was volunteer only and you came after me when I thought it wasn't just going to be me and my dogs and the sparrows and…" Kel trailed off. She was rambling. Why was she rambling? None of the words that were coming out of her mouth made a great deal of sense.

"Kel, you know I would do anything for… I mean, the…" Dom trailed off too, and was silent for a moment. Kel was beginning to feel uncomfortable about the intensity of his gaze, before he continued on.

"Listen. I have something to say to you, something I should have said for quite sometime, so please hear me out, and let me say it. If you don't feel the same way, then I will respect that, and we'll forget we had this conversation, blame it on the wine, or moonlight silliness, but… Please."

He took a deep breath, and Kel blinked. Was Dom saying what she thought she was saying? No, he wouldn't be saying that. Would he be saying that? What was he saying? This was very confusing.

"There was always a reason I shouldn't say anything. I didn't even realize at first, it likely wasn't until at least your second year as a squire, but there was still the age difference, which always make things more… complicated, and the fact that Raoul had made it very clear that he was fully prepared to castrate anyone who even thought of taking any sort of advantage. And then there was… Kennan." He said somewhat bitterly.

Cleon. Why did he have to bring Cleon up? Raoul had said that? That was nice. Nice. Dom was nice. He said nice things.

And he was speaking again, "And anyone with half an eye could tell that you two were, well, and I wasn't going to get in the way. He was more your age and you'd known him longer and he was going to be a knight and I'm just a younger son who couldn't even think of marriage or any sort of honourable relationship that didn't at least have that possibility open without losing my position in the Own because the Own only allows unmarried men and I couldn't say anything then, I just couldn't."

Kel looked at Dom. He looked back. "You're babbling." She said bluntly. Was that rude? Maybe it had been. What was he saying?

"Kel, I'm sorry, I should have said anything, I'll just…" He half-turned as if to go, but she grabbed his arm.

"No, don't… I mean, go on. It's alright. I just sit down right here and listen to you." She mumbled, half-falling onto the bench beside her, still hanging onto his arm and laughing slightly.

"Are you drunk, Kel? I mean, I shouldn't, not if you're…"

"Are you going to talk or not?" Kel demanded. "You've fought and rode with me for how many years and _now_ you're treating me like I'm some sort of weak-kneed female? Dom. _Speak_."

"What? Oh, right. And then we went up North, and we were in battle, and I couldn't let it distract you because I couldn't bear anything happening to you and there was still Kennan, and then you went off for your Ordeal and I didn't see you for months and then I saw you again and heard about Kennan's engagement and I meant to say something that last night I was at Haven, but I was just leaving and it didn't seem right to do it that way so all I could end up saying wasn't really much."

He finally took another breath, before continuing. "And then we were in Scanra, and we were in enemy territory, and I was under your command, and again, I just couldn't bear the thought that anything I said about…. us…. might distract you and then we got back and we haven't really talked since and just last week Raoul told me he is considering stepping down as active field commander of the Own, because he wants to raise a family with Buri. And he asked him to be his successor, because Flyndan took a bad leg wound in a skirmish and he thinks I'm the best choice."

"The point is, it got me really thinking about the future, and how the Commander of the Own _can_ marry, and I'm not asking you to marry me because Mithros knows I'm not ready to get married yet, but the point is, Kel, I…."

Kel was reasonably certain what he was discussing now. She also realized Dom smelt nice, of armour polish and saddle oil, horses and herbal soap.

Pulling sharply on the arm she was holding, Kel pulled Dom down to a sitting position beside her and put a finger to his lips. "Dom? Stop blathering and kiss me already. Please."

It was a suggestion that Dom was only too happy to oblige, and he began to do so, when a voice sounded from around the corner.

"Kel? Are you alright? Dom was looking for you earlier…" Owen of Jesslaw trailed off, as he turned the corner. He turned beet-red, and mumbled, "Oh, uh… He found you then?" before suddenly grinning and turning around abruptly.

"I knew it!" He crowed.

The knight and sergeant barely noticed.


	2. Neal

Author: This chapter is a little shorter, but more to follow. Next chapter will be Raoul.

_Late_ the next morning, a very sleepy Nealan of Queenscove with a pounding headache walked down the corridor on his way to the mess hall, riffling a comb futilely through his hair, before having his nose almost mashed flat by the door that opened directly in front of him.

He flailed backwards, and then scowled as the head of his cousin popped out from behind the offending doorframe.

"Why, hello Meathead, and good morning to you." Dom said all too cheerily.

"Ngggh…" Neal replied, rubbing his face.

"Articulate as ever, I see." Dom retorted, adjusting his grip on his tray of empty breakfast dishes.

"Is it some new hobby of yours to attempt to squash your relatives with the door to your quarters in the early hour of morning? I get hit over the head just plenty in combat, thank you." Neal muttered grumpily.

"I apologize, my dear cousin, but it did appear to wake you up quite nicely, didn't it? Not that you don't have a very good excuse, congratulations and all..." Dom said, closing the door quickly just as Neal caught a glimpse of a sparrow on a table inside, perched beside a long sword and a pile of armour.

Neal's eyes narrowed blearily. "Just one moment…. Aren't the quarters for the Own in another area of the fort? This is where the knights…" His exhausted brain suddenly put the pieces together. "Wait….. You… Kel…. You _didn't_?" He squawked.

Dom shook his head quickly, eyes fierce, but also a bit amused at Neal's antics.

"I wouldn't… Kel drank slightly too much last night, I was taking care of her to make sure she would be… Tobe was in the servant's quarters, and… That is, we kissed, but we didn't, _not yet_, not when she was that… or… until she wants t… I was just bringing her breakfast, and,… _No._" He finally finished, awkward but emphatic.

Neal nodded distractedly, seemingly satisfied and kept walking, before his eyes widened and he began to splutter. "You… _Kissed_?" He said accusingly, turning around again.

Dom paused. "We did, didn't we?" He said, half in disbelief, before grinning widely, and walking down the corridor.

"What do you mean, not YET?" Neal yelled after him.

"Get used to it, Meathead."


	3. Raoul

Author's Note: Again, I own nothing, etc…. Please read and review if you like it, and feel free to suggest other characters to include!

It was late in the afternoon of that day when Dom was walking by Lord Raoul's study when he heard a voice bark, "Masbolle! Get in here!"

Grimacing, Dom turned and entered the room, somewhat nervously, before standing to attention.

"Sir?"

Raoul sat at his desk, shuffling papers around and making notes in the margins of some. He did not look at Dom, merely remained sitting, while looking at the papers in his hand.

With dangerous quietness, he finally spoke. "Would you care to enlighten me as to the veracity of certain things I have happened to overhear about you and a _certain_ former squire of mine from a cousin of yours?

"Sacherall of Wellam, sir? I cannot say I know him very well." Dom said, hiding a grin. If Raoul was going to explode, he would have asked Dom to close the door by now.

"Close the door." Raoul said, having still not looked up.

Dom's grin became somewhat unsteady.

"Dom, you have know me for many years. You should know when a glib tongue will save you and when it won't. I am in an extremely good mood today, but that goes exactly so far. Now answer the question. I'd rather hear it from you than the gossips. What are you up to, then ?" He finished, and looked up.

Dom almost flinched away, then stared at him straight in the eye and held himself with an upright posture.

"Sir, I haven't a great deal of time to discuss our relationship with her, or our feelings in very precise terms. However, at the wedding feast last night we both, expressed a certain mutual interest, one that may or may not progress into something more serious. Sir, please know that I will completely and utterly respect her wishes in any and all things, and treat her with the utmost respect. I care a great deal about her. She holds her emotions close, but that doesn't mean she doesn't feel them. If she wishes to end it, that is what will occur, and if not, then under no circumstances will I push her into anything. I am aware of an age gap, and also how other may view the relationship, and how they will talk, but sir, I really couldn't and don't care."

Raoul was silent, glaring.

"Mithros knows, I would also gladly die for her, if necessary. If that helps, sir." Dom added, nervously.

Finally, Raoul's expression cracked, and he began laughing uproariously.

"Sir?"

"If you'd seen your expression, you'd be laughing too. At ease, for gods sakes. You're a good man, Masbolle. I'm happy for you. Gods know, I like you a great deal better than that Kennan fellow. Nothing wrong with him, but you two suit better. Off with you, then. Just one final question."

"Sir?"

"What took you so long? I would have thought it would have happened by the time you were back from Scanra."

Dom was thinking of how he ought to reply when Buri burst through the door, saying, "Hello husband…" in a tone that on any other woman he would describe as flirtatious.

The younger man coughed, and Buri's eyes flicked to Dom. "Ah. Sergeant. Am I interrupting?"

"No, not at all. Oh, and sir? Still quicker than you and Buri." Dom retorted, before ducking out the door to the sound of more chuckling.

As he walked down the corridor, he heard a "What was that about?" followed by a "REALLY?"

Dom shook his head, smiling.


	4. Peachblossom

Author: Blahdeblahr, I own nothing, hope you enjoy and review, etc…

Update: Eeep! Don't know what happened there, or why the document went all crazy and inserted threes into everything…. I'll try again, hope it's fixed now!

Later still, in the evening, Dom met Kel in the stables. Walking up behind her as she was putting down a currycomb, he tapped her on the shoulder.

'Evening, Kel."

She looked up, smiling. "Dom. How are you?"

"Wonderful. Apart from a very amusing spluttering from my cousin when he saw me walking out of your chambers... "

"Neal knows, does he? How lovely. I'm sure he'll be interesting about it once he gets over the shock. No doubt he'll quote some poetry at us."

"And what started as a stern talking to from Lord Raoul that turned into him essentially congratulating me and sending me on my merry way. "

Kel smiled, putting the brush down. "So he approves, then? Good. I'd rather be spared another well intended talk about relationships and command. Not that there weren't a great deal of worse ways he could have brought it up, but.."

"Did he do that before, with Cleon?'

The knight's grimaced. "Yes."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to, again." Dom began, before Kel pulled an arm around him and kissed him. Breaking away after a moment, Kel reassured him.

"It's fine. I've moved past him, I think. He's... It didn't work out."

"He's engaged, isn't he?" Dom asked, picking a straw out of her hair.

She nodded, and there was a moment of awkward silence, before Dom spoke again, eyes earnest. "I don't think I'm ready for that, truthfully. I'd rather we took our time with things, and didn't think about that yet. But I'm serious here. I'd never fool around, least of all with you."

Kel smiled. "Thank you, Dom. That's good, I think, all of it. And I hope you're not just saying that because you know I could beat you into the dirt if it was otherwise." She said, eyebrows raised and clearly joking.

"Is that a challenge, Lady Knight?" Dom quipped, tickling the back of her her neck with the piece of straw and grabbing an arm playfully.

Kel let out an undignified squawk, and grabbed his arm in turn. They tussled briefly before Kel pushed him onto the sawdust floor, falling on top of him. She held the fallen straw to his neck.

"Do you yield?"

"To you, certainly." Dom said, before colouring slightly as he realized another meaning to what he had said. Kel sneezed, breaking the tension.

"I have sawdust in my nose." Kel remarked, rolling off him, and helped him to his feet. "You should say hello to Peachblossom. I've just groomed him, so like to be in a better mood than usual. You could, give him an apple, maybe?"

"And get my fingers nibbled by your testy pony?"

Kel's eyes were pleading. "Please?"

There was a snort from the stall beside him, and Dom looked over at Peachblossom. "Yes, you."

Her horse flicked his tail and snorted again, as if to say,_ go_ away, _little man_. Kel stared him down.

"Peachblossom. Behave. I like Dom. You know him, certainly, from the Own. He doesn't squeak like Neal, so biting him wouldn't be much fun, anyway. Do you think you could tolerate him? I'd like if you liked him. I… I care about him.I think, so. Please?" She cajoled, handing Dom the apple.

Dom stepped forward carefully, holding out the apple in his outstretched palm.

The roan snorted, seemingly bemused. A mischievous glint flickered in his eyes for a moment, as if he was considering something, but it disappeared as he looked at the sergeant, then at Kel, and finally back at Dom.

Blowing out all his breath in a sigh, the horse reached his neck forward. Dom flinched, but the destrier merely lipped his shirt, before delicately taking the apple in his teeth. The horse continued to stare at Dom while he ate, but it was a friendlier stare, and he inclined his head a fraction before looking away.

"I think he approves?" Dom said, happy that the crunching sound was an apple and not his fingers. Horse slobber aside, as he wiped his fingers off, he was extremely relieved.

He had a feeling Kel treated the opinion of her horse very strongly, and that gaining Peachblossom's approval was about important as that of any of the humans in her life.

"I think so. Now let's get moving. I for one wouldn't mind something to eat." Kel said, whistling for Jump, who came running up, tail wagging, only to demand petting before they were allowed to leave. The terrier, at least, was easier to win over, especially once Dom remembered the strip of jerky in his pocket, which, along with a belly rub, proved adequate to remind Jump of their previous acquaintance. Animals content, they went in for dinner.


End file.
